NEW YORK The Associated Press changed "boos" to "ooohhs" Friday afternoon in reporting on President George Bush's first statement to supporters on the heart ailment that has befallen former President Bill Clinton.

In a dispatch sent to subscribers in early afternoon, the AP reported that when Bush, at a campaign rally in West Allis, Wisconsin, told the crowd that he wished to send Clinton his "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery," the audience "of thousands booed. Bush did nothing to stop them."

Pretty damning, except that AP soon changed its story, only after the original appeared on many Web sites.

Several Web sites revealed that AP "retracted" the report "citing uncertainties about how to characterize the crowd's reaction."

The new version moved on the wire Friday described the same incident this way, after relating Bush's remarks: "The crowd reacted with applause and with some 'ooohs,' apparently surprised by the news that Clinton was ill."

All he had to do was turn a TV on, which I am sure it was, but he injected his Liberal bias into the story. Doesn't matter if you happen to be in WI or NYC, you don't need to be there to report on the crowd reaction in a live shot.

11
posted on 09/03/2004 9:48:14 PM PDT
by BigSkyFreeper
(Real gun control is - all shots inside the ten ring)

---All he had to do was turn a TV on, which I am sure it was, but he injected his Liberal bias into the story. Doesn't matter if you happen to be in WI or NYC, you don't need to be there to report on the crowd reaction in a live shot.---

Abbe Hoffman said the best way to write the news was to sit in a closet and make it up.

I couldn't understand why the ABC radio news today mentioned "the crowd was surprised and went 'ooooh'". They were inserting the spin for their earlier lie right into the news story even though most listening to the news report were unaware of the earlier lie.

No news report would mention that the crowd went "oooh" normally, it is irrelevant to the story.

24
posted on 09/03/2004 10:01:01 PM PDT
by Jim_Curtis
(Liberals lie at the premise, accept their premise and you can only lose the argument.)

"Behold the power of Lexis-Nexis. The AP was able to cover their tracks on the web, but Lexis-Nexis keeps all versions of stories which carry different time-stamps. The Hays original is preserved there in its entirety:

But the Byline is Tom Hays. Since he was writing out of New York, there are probably other reporters who worked on the story... Galley slaves lists some of the others possibly responsible for the maliciously false content about the boos.

No. You people have it all wrong. The Story from AP is now reading that Bush said he dropped out of the race, Troops are leaving Iraq to join Iran, Europe will soon liberate America from...well, America and the Moon is made of Blue Cheese.

I *thought* I remembered reading "Tom Hays" when I first saw the story this morning but by the time I went back to confirm, AP had pulled it. Thanks for the Lexus-Nexus link, we know now who needs to be fired.

Hays has written many stories over the past few weeks covering the convention. None of them appeared to have any bias or slant that I can see. I would more suspect a "contributor" was at fault, as has been alledged here.

Even worse was when the LA Times falsely reported that Bremer left Iraq without giving a farewell speech. The "reporter" then added that it was as if Bremer was ashamed to give a speech. Well, not only did Bremer definitely give a farewell speech, but it was well-received by Iraqis, according to some of the Iraqi bloggers. The LA Times finally printed a "correction" in which the "reporter" lamely stated that Bremer's speech had not been advertised, as if the world was supposed to come to the "reporter", and not the other way around. That too was crap, because Bremer's speech had not only been mentioned on CNN, but it was SEEN on CNN!

Anyway, an email to info@ap.org with a request that it be forwarded to Tom Hays (our prime suspect, I guess) might get something worthwhile accomplished.

This section from the original Lexis-Nexis just makes me fume: ==== . . .He's going to be fine," Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said at a rally in Newark, Ohio.

"But every single one of us wants to extend to him our best wishes, our prayers and our thoughts and I want you all to let a cheer out and clap that he can hear all the way to New York," Kerry said to cheers. Clinton had been expected to campaign extensively for Kerry.

President George W. Bush, campaigning in Wisconsin, wished Clinton "best wishes for a swift and speedy recovery."

I think the vast majority wouldn't wish the sink-master any particular ill, they were probably booing McDonald's for pushing all those Big Macs on the poor fellow.

But seriously, the man occupies a place of great shame for the things he has done, and I'm sure wherever a crowd is assembled there will be some boos heard at the mention of his name. Same as when the crowd at that NYC benefit booed hitlery. Doesn't mean they wish them ill, they just want the both of them out of that place of shame, and into that place of obscurity. I hope the time comes one day when we will have trouble remembering their names, and for that matter, when they were President.

Get well soon Mr. disgraced former President, and when you are well enough to travel, please do.

Kerry reported that the Bush supporters Booed when President Bush asked everyone to pray for Clinton, but later recanted his his statement saying that he didn't say that at all, that it was the Swift Boat Crew members who were trashing him that gave that report to AP under the guise that it was from Kerry.

Jonathan Last at Galley Slaves noted them in the piece I linked to....He remarks that the reputation of all are on the line. I want to know who is responsible. He should be fired. AP needs to make an apology and put a specific retraction over the wires.

Many places are still reporting and printing stories that indicate the corwd, or some in the corwd were booing.

There was no booing according to eyewitnesses, none on the audio tapes or video. If there was any bad behaviour it was de minimis and one would hardly expect President Bush to notice it over the cheers, since nobody else can.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.